JASON GARDENER was told to carry on running until the Olympic games in London after leading Britain to their greatest medal haul at the European Indoor Championships in Birmingham yesterday.

Gardener won the 60metres for a record-equalling fourth successive time with a brilliant performance on a weekend when he spent much of his time worrying about his wife Nancy, who is due to give birth to their second child.

The Bath Bullet flew from the blocks to win in a sensational time of 6.51sec, the fastest in Europe this year, ahead of his training partner Craig Pickering, who was second with 6.59sec and Frenchman Ronald Pognon, third with 6.60sec.

At 31, Gardener, one of Britain's Olympic relay heroes from Athens in 2004, has been Contemplating his retirement.

But after his glory run proved the highlight of Britain's 10 medals as the host nation topped the table of gongs, Gardener was told he has years left.

Both he and Pickering are coached by Malcolm Arnold, who was working for BBC Radio as Gardener won his title for the fourth successive time.

"Linford Christie and Colin Jackson did not finish running until they were well into their 30s and there is no reason why Jason cannot do the same," said Arnold. "I have told him he has two more Olympics in him." That would take him to London in 2012 and while that seems a long way off, he is such an explosive sprinter - and admirer of Arnold - that it is not out of the question.

He said yesterday: "I cannot say how much this victory means to me. It has been a tough few weeks but I always knew that if everything was right, I could win."

Pickering, 20, hopes Gardener continues and said: "I cannot stress how much he has helped me and his run today was phenomenal."

Britain won a second gold yesterday in a sensational finish to the men's 400m relay to add to the individual glory on Saturday of Nicola Sanders in the 400m and Phillips Idowu in the triple jump.

Germany actually won the relay with Britain second, but the Germans were thrown out after a protest from third-placed Russia.